An Interview with President on the Topic of Mountain Day (Reported by Ako Takamatsu)

An Interview with President on the Topic of Mountain Day (Reported by Ako Takamatsu)

Last Updated:Jan 31, 2017

Japan marks Mountain Day ‪on August 11 as the newest national holiday starting in 2016.

It has been officially declared after a preparation and legislation period of five years. One of the people who were involved in lobbying, public relations activities and dissemination for this day is the president of our society.

A quote from Michiko Imai, the president of INFOM, “It is the day to celebrate nature on earth using the word “mountain”. Japan has established this day ahead of any other United Nations members. Mountainous regions and woodlands are important elements of the global environment and it is our responsibility to maintain these natural environments for the next generations. Especially in japan, nearly 80 percent of the land is covered with forests from the mountains to the highlands. Because of this day being enacted, people now have “opportunities to become familiar with mountains and be thankful for the blessings from mountains,”

“Considered solely from the point of the function of forests: Forests, in cooperation with the solar radiation, have a climate mitigation function to adjust the earth’s surface temperature. They are natural air conditioners. Woods, in cooperation with water, play a part of the fresh-water cycle that adjusts the humidity, makes the flow of the rivers, and catches the rainwater. It is a natural humidifier and dam. Trees, with the help of the solar radiation and water, grow by photosynthesis, help the regulation of carbohydrate and oxide. This is vital as a natural atmospheric balancing unit. Stomata of leaves absorb not only CO2 but also NOx and SOx. Leaves, trunks and branches adsorb atmospheric pollutants including aerosols as well. Rain water shower, even if the shape changes with rain, fog, or snow, can wash absorbed aerosols into the ground thus also creating the natural function of air purifying.
Moreover, many academic papers including from Japan that INFOM has collected shows that forests demonstrate various effects improving human wellbeing by maintaining and promoting health, normalizing blood pressure, relieving stress, and helping to prohibit the development of cancer related illnesses
I would like to ask all members and INFOM-members to make an effort worldwide to establish “mountain day” in order to preserve global and human environment.”